Big Sister - A McRoll in the REAL World Story
by Mari217
Summary: Steve and Catherine consult an expert to make sure Cammie is ready for the baby and Niblet makes him or herself known a wee bit more to Mom & Dad.


_Sammy and Ilna - I can't believe we're into our FOURTH calendar year with REAL Steve and Catherine! You make every minute of my life more fun, more creative, more sure of the fact you've transcend friendship and are family._

 _REALMcRollers - Happy, healthy, prosperous 2017 to our REAL World family. Thank you for the AMAZING feedback on the Marathon! Much love._

 _And indulge me a minute while I say Sammy did a tremendous amount of work on the Holiday REAL McRollathon and deserves a standing ovation, a thousand thank yous and a pound of red hots. Love you, SuperSammy ALWAYS_

* * *

 **Big Sister**

 **Monday  
6:00 p.m.**

Catherine entered the house and greeted Cammie, who nuzzled her face affectionately. "So, are you all ready to see Miss Francine?" She kissed the dog's nose and stood. Dropping the mail on the side table, she kicked off her shoes and headed for the stairs. "Just let me change and we'll toss the ball around."

In the bedroom, Catherine removed her new work pants and silently thanked Grace for suggesting they stop at the maternity shop before Christmas. While most of her clothes still fit fine, her fitted dress pants were a little too snug around her midriff. As she pulled on a pair of shorts that were cut low enough in the waist that they'd fit a while longer, she looked at the dog who was watching her with a happy, engaged expression.

"So, my first day was pretty awesome, thanks for asking. We got a lot done and we set up three meetings for later in the week." Cammie chuffed a response and Catherine laughed.

"Sounds like my brilliant wife is moving and shaking day one." Steve's voice preceded him up the stairs and when he strode into the bedroom, he gathered her up in an embrace. "What did I miss? Cammie, do I need a recap?" He tossed over his shoulder as the dog came up to greet him.

"I just got home." She smiled and kissed him once, then again. Her eyes were sparkling and she was vibrating with excitement and energy. "It went really well. I think Lea was pleased and I know we accomplished more than we expected today."

"Which should be a surprise to no one. Lea got very lucky the day you signed on, Catherine. You said when I called at lunch the head of the teachers' union and reps for every district in the state are in place for the summit on the twelfth. That's impressive." He stepped back and tugged off his t-shirt. "Let me change and we can eat, I picked up mahi mahi platters from Kamekona."

"Ohhh, yum." She grabbed a tank top and fished a band from her nightstand to pull her hair into a ponytail. As she raised her arms to gather her hair Steve moved closer and tossed his own clean T-shirt on the bedside chair.

"Wait."

"Hmm?" She angled towards him.

"I …" His hands slid over the skin of her belly. "Are you, is Niblet … um … bigger today?" He met her eyes. "I mean …" Visions of friends' warnings on being sensitive about her changing body had him searching for the right words. Her body had changed slightly, even from that morning, he was sure of it. If there was anything Steve McGarrett was familiar with every inch of, it was Catherine's body. "I think I can see him or her …"

She looked down. "I had to wear my new maternity pants today." When she said it almost proudly, Steve's face split into a smile. Before he looked from his hand on her tummy to her face, Catherine's eyes had filled. "Oh … I think I popped. I … since this morning." Her voice was just above whisper.

His heart clenched at her tears, but he didn't have a chance to respond when she kissed him with such fervor she stole his breath. Pulling back and leaving him slightly stunned, she repeated, "I popped! I _popped_ , Steve, I have a baby bump!" She turned sideways and pushed her tummy forward, saying, "Hi, Niblet," as she ran her hands over the miniscule bump almost with wonder.

Steve lifted her right off her feet in an excited kiss. "Niblet's showing!" he announced, a look of such unabashed glee on his face that Catherine laughed out loud with joy.

Their excitement had Cammie up and joining them in the center of the room and they both kneeled to include her. "You're gonna be a big sister soon, sweetie," Catherine cooed, and as if remembering suddenly, stood. "Oh, Francine will be here in an hour and a half."

Steve kissed her once more and shifted to grab his T-shirt. "We should have dinner and run Cammie so she's ready for a session."

Catherine's eyes sparkled. "Dinner's take out and Francine said only run her forty five minutes or so." Instead of donning her own shirt, she unbuttoned her shorts. "We have time for a .." she tilted her head, "baby bump celebration. You game, Commander?"

Before she could draw another breath, Steve had scooped her up and deposited her on their bed. "Let the games begin, Lieutenant. The clock is ticking."

* * *

At 7:55 p.m. Cammie stood and alerted, just seconds before they heard a door slam in the driveway. "Okay pretty girl, let's see what we need to do to make you a happy big sister." Catherine stood to open the door and Cammie followed at her heels.

"Congratulations!" Francine greeted them and bent to add, "And to you, too, Cammie," to the tail-wagging dog. "Can we sit and go over the basics first, then we'll see what additional training, if any, we'll need to do."

"Please," Steve said as he motioned her to have a seat in the living room. He and Catherine sat on the sofa and Cammie settled at their feet.

"So … one of my star pupils is going to have a human sibling." Francine smiled warmly. "I'm guessing she's acting a little more clingy to mommy these days?'

Catherine reached down and ran a hand over Cammie's head. "She knows. She knew before I did, didn't you, pretty girl?" She smiled when the dog's tail thumped gently.

Francine agreed, "Dogs can tell you're pregnant right away. They just don't know how many puppies you're having." She chuckled. "Seriously, though, I know you'll do great, because I've seen how dedicated you are to training, how you maintain the ten minutes a day for life rule and teach her new things to keep her engaged." She sighed. "I'm going to be matter-of-fact and say that makes my week. Because like every trainer, I'm tired of seeing perfectly wonderful dogs dropped off at a shelter because they were set up for failure when a new baby came into the house. The best time to prepare is before a baby arrives. No animal deserves to lose it's home or it's life because it's owners are too lazy to train it or because they consider it a 'practice baby' and lose interest when they have a human one."

Catherine slid off the sofa to give Cammie a hug. "That's horrible. Cammie's my first baby." She kissed her nose. "We want her happy about the new baby, and we want them to love each other."

Steve nodded and gave her shoulder a squeeze, unsure if she were about to tear up, but she didn't. With another hug for the dog, she retook her seat beside him and focused on Francine.

"So, I'm confident we'll have no issues with Cammie, but I'd be remiss if I didn't state what should be obvious. Legally I have to tell you if she shows any warning signs with the baby like growling, snapping, or lunging, please call me immediately, day or night. If you wait until the warning signs progress to an actual nip, it's a harder problem to solve."

"Not Cammie. She's the best dog I've ever seen, and the smartest," Steve stated, "but I get it - you have to point out the legalities."

"Exactly." Francine smiled at his confidence. "From the time your little bundle learns to walk, he or she is gonna stumble into the sleeping or eating area of the dog like a drunken sailor, pardon the reference." She grinned. "We need Cammie to know that may happen but we also need you to give her a safe area where she can take a baby break if she needs one."

Catherine had taken out a pad and pen and was jotting notes. She nodded and smiled.

"As soon as you're ready to have Cammie interact, Catherine, you'll hold the baby on your lap. Call Cammie over and have her sit at your feet. Pet her quietly and say 'Easy.' This is how you teach a child right from birth, to pet a dog and not hit. To never pat her on the head. Also, for when the baby is a toddler, don't allow it to see you turning the dog's ears to check or clean them. You don't want to teach the child that it's okay for him or her to do that to any dog."

"Got it. She's great with kids. She loves our niece, Joanie, she's three now. Cammie's very good with her," Steve said.

"And she's great with Kaitlyn," Catherine added. "She was afraid of dogs at first but Cammie's super gentle around her, like she knows."

"She does know. She knows from the vibe Kaitlyn gives off and from her body language and yours and Steve's. She realizes she needs to be quieter and more gentle with certain people. They take their cues from you. Which is why I think she's gonna be fine, aren't you, Cammie?" She addressed the dog, who stood and came closer for a hug.

"What about before the baby comes?" Steve asked and Catherine smiled at his need for a plan.

"You could play recordings of baby sounds at low volume, and increase it when she stays calm, but since Cammie's been around your niece, I'm guessing she's heard her share of crying?"

"Definitely." He nodded. "Not that Joanie's a crier, but my sister lives in California, so when they visit it's for a few days at least so Cammie's had a baby in the house a lot of times."

"That's great, but Joanie has a mom who's tending to her. Now it's gonna be _Cammie's_ mom and dad who are paying lots of attention to a loud, foreign little creature that smells funny," she said and they both laughed. "Start using baby products like maybe lotion or powder before the baby arrives. If you smell like baby products, the baby will have a more familiar smell."

"What about the first day home?" Catherine inquired. "I don't want Cammie to feel left out."

"The best thing you can do there is have Steve bring home a blanket or item your baby wore in the hospital to get Cammie used to his or her scent." Cammie looked over she shoulder when Francine stopped scratching her ears. "You are a good girl, aren't you, honey?" She resumed and Cammie sighed contentedly. "Maybe most important is, Mommy needs to greet Cammie while Daddy holds the baby, since a normal greeting from Mom will let her know that everything is okay.

Steve, when you enter the house, stay standing until she's had a chance to smell and listen to the baby. When she's done greeting Catherine, ask her to sit or lay down before you sit down. If she's curious, let her view the baby from about six feet away. Praise her if she shows no fear. Since she's been okay with other babies, gently call her over and let her say hi. Touch the baby with her nose then pull back, just like we do 'say hi' to a stranger's hand."

"We can do that, no problem." "Absolutely." They confirmed simultaneously then shared a smile.

"I think we're gonna be just great." She addressed the dog. "Cammie's gonna make a super big sister. And I'm available for in-home lessons anytime you need a refresher. Today we'll practice with a powder scented doll I brought along that has a recorded cry and we'll go through what we just discussed."

* * *

"Okay, Catherine you come on in and make a fuss over your girl. Steve you hold little Gizmo there and wait in the doorway." The lifelike doll in Steve's arms elicited a cry and Cammie glanced up but returned her attention to Catherine. "Perfect, praise her."

"Good job, Cammie," Catherine said happily. "Who's my good girl?"

Francine directed Steve to step away from the front door. "Come in slowly and let her see and smell the doll. If she doesn't want to leave Catherine, that's okay, call her gently. She'll have missed her while she was in the hospital overnight."

Cammie hesitated and looked between her humans. "Go see Steve, sweetie," Catherine encouraged and she took a few steps forward. Not flinching when the cry intensified slightly.

"Have her sit."

"Cammie, sit." Steve said as he unconsciously positioned the doll over his shoulder as he'd done many times while holding Joan.

As Cammie sat and Francine directed them to a successful introduction, Catherine swiped her eyes. Seeing Steve with the 'baby,' artificial or not, watching him interact with Cammie and the stand in for their child had tears welling until a few spilled down her cheeks. When Steve showered Cammie with praise and looked Catherine's way, she saw his expression and laughed through the tears.

"Hormones." She shrugged at the relieved look that crossed his face. "And I'm proud of Cammie."

Francine stepped into the foyer to give them a minute, a small smile in place. She'd seen similar reactions before. When they stopped talking quietly a few seconds later, she rejoined them and said, "Perfect. Do it just like that and you're golden." She turned to Cammie. "What do you say we teach you a new behavior?" She looked at Steve. "Instead of 'say hi' we're gonna call it 'check baby' it'll give her the chance to touch and sniff for a few seconds and then back up. Once you know his or her name, you can slowly replace baby with the name. Works like a charm."

Steve placed a hand on Catherine's' knee and before he rose from his seat next to her, gave a gentle squeeze. "Okay, show us what to train. We got this." His smile was a mile wide. "Right, Cammie?"

* * *

At the door before she departed, Francine hugged all three of them. "There's going to be a few new challenges when the baby starts to crawl and walk. You'll have a short person walking around the house with toys and food that may be very tempting. Once you have a toddler, it's even more important to practice your dog's cues every day. And Cammie can even be a big help – if your little one isn't ready to calm down for a nap or bedtime for example, you can try reading out loud to her to create a nice restful atmosphere.

You guys are great pet parents, I'm not worried at all. Especially since I know you realize kids need to be taught to be gentle with animals, because eventually they'll be around someone else's pets who may not be so tolerant. Start them off right and all the family members will get along fine. Two legged, four legged, feathered, finned …" she trailed off and laughed. "Seriously. Have fun with everything. If you forget anything, Cammie will remind you." She winked at the dog. "And I'm only a call away."

* * *

Steve's footsteps were preceded by Cammie's nails tapping down the hall as they came back from the last potty run of the night. "In here!" Catherine called and Steve stepped into the guest room to find her staring into the far corner with a soft smile.

"Maybe yellow?" She leaned back against his chest when his arms circled her waist and came to rest on her tummy.

"Hmmm?" He placed a kiss on her temple. "Walls?"

"Yeah, maybe. Or green? I saw a jungle theme with baby giraffes. And a baby owl one. There was a beautiful ocean theme, too."

"Whatever you want."

She turned in his arms with grin. "Better watch that phrase, Commander, before you're buying Niblet a car in a few years."

"That phrase is for _you_ , Lieutenant. And I fully expect you to kick me under the table if I accidentally say it to a teenager."

"A teenager. We're gonna have a teenager." She shook her head and chuckled even as her eyes shone with tears. "Oh c'mon, Niblet," she addressed her tummy with a sniff. "You're supposed to stop that soon. Second trimester, promise?"

Steve rubbed the tiny swell of her tummy. "Promise your mommy, please. I can't stand seeing her cry."

They shared a look and both laughed when Cammie came in from their room to see just what was holding up bedtime. She couldn't rest until her pack was settled for the night.

"Hey, sweetie, we're coming." Catherine switched off the light as they followed her through the door. "You're gonna be so good with the baby, aren't you, my pretty girl?" She smiled when Cammie moved close and huffed a sigh against her midsection. "Hey, that's right. You haven't been formally introduced." She put a hand over her tummy and one on Cammie's cheek. Catching Steve's eyes in the moonlight filtering in from the balcony doors she said, "Niblet, meet your dog, Cammie. She's gonna be an awesome big sister."

 _# End thanks for reading_

* * *

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